Tax, written like you're meant to understand it.
Explainers from our tax practice, engineering posts, and field notes from filing season. Slow web, no clickbait.
How the TaxWise AI answers without making up tax law
Most AI assistants guess. Ours can't. Every number comes from our deterministic tax engine and every rule is cited back to the Inland Revenue Act — here's how the two-source design works.
How the TaxWise AI answers without making up tax law
Most AI assistants guess. Ours can't. Every number comes from our deterministic tax engine and every rule is cited back to the Inland Revenue Act — here's how the two-source design works.
How do I claim a tax refund from the IRD in Sri Lanka? (Y/A 2025/2026)
Overpaid APIT, AIT or instalments? It's a statutory right, not a favour. The Rs. 180,000 fast-track, the 60% set-off, the 30-month deadline, and the interest the IRD owes when it's slow.
Can the IRD prosecute you for not filing a tax return? (2026)
The IRD can now criminally prosecute non-filers under Act No. 11 of 2026. A written notice, a strict 30-day window, then a fine up to Rs. 400,000 or six months. Who it targets — and who it doesn't.
How are dividends taxed in Sri Lanka? (Y/A 2025/2026)
A resident company withholds 15% on your dividend and that's the whole story — no top-up, no refund, whatever your other income looks like.
How is bank interest taxed in Sri Lanka? (Y/A 2025/2026)
Your bank now deducts 10% on savings and fixed deposit interest, up from 5%. When it's just an advance, when you can stop it, and how to claim it back.
How do I register for a TIN in Sri Lanka? (Y/A 2025/2026)
NIC, email, five steps. How to get your TIN online through RAMIS, when companies must register by, and what to do the moment it arrives.
What is APIT (formerly PAYE) and how does it work? (Y/A 2025/2026)
Your employer deducts it every month before you're paid. How APIT works, why secondary jobs are taxed differently, and what happens when you file your return.
What is the personal relief (tax-free threshold) in Sri Lanka? (Y/A 2025/2026)
The first LKR 1,800,000 of your total annual income is tax-free — how the personal relief works, who qualifies, and what changed from last year.
What changed in Sri Lankan income tax for 2025/2026?
Higher relief, the 12% band gone, doubled WHT on savings interest, and no more SET — every change in Y/A 2025/2026, with worked examples.
How much tax do I pay on my salary in Sri Lanka? (2025/2026)
What actually comes out of your payslip. The APIT tables, the LKR 150,000 monthly threshold, and the tax on common salary levels.
Freelancer and remote worker tax in Sri Lanka (2025/2026)
Upwork, foreign clients, no PAYE safety net. The 15% foreign-service cap, the installment calendar, and the expenses you can claim — in order.
How is foreign income taxed in Sri Lanka? (2025/2026)
Money from abroad, taxed at home. The 15% service cap, the FX conversion rule, and the treaty credit that stops you paying twice.
How to file your income tax return in Sri Lanka (2025/2026)
From getting a TIN to receiving an IRD acknowledgement — the complete, in-order walkthrough for filing your own return online.
How to calculate your income tax in Sri Lanka (2025/2026)
Total income, minus reliefs, through the 2025/2026 brackets, minus credits. The whole method, with a worked example in rupees.
How to file freelance income from foreign clients without overpaying
If you invoice in USD or GBP, the FX rate, the DTA, and the WHT certificate matter more than the amount.
Why the rent-income deduction stayed at 25% — and what we'd change
A close read of the 2025 Amendment debate, and a quiet argument for a graduated deduction in 2026.
ETF and Gratuity stepped rates: a worked example for a 22-year career
Concessionary rates apply, but only if you do the math in the right order. Step-by-step in LKR.
Long-form tracks worth bookmarking.
One email a fortnight, no filler.
New IRD circulars, deadline reminders, and the one or two articles we think every Sri Lankan filer should read.